Nigeria’s hopes of one day seeing Ethan Nwaneri don the green and white of the Super Eagles took a significant hit on Saturday evening following the youngster's record-breaking display for Arsenal against Brighton, Soccernet.ng reports.
Born in North London to Nigerian parents, Nwaneri is eligible to represent both England and Nigeria.
The 18-year-old attacker has already featured for England at U16, U17, and U19 levels but remains eligible for the Super Eagles, as he has yet to play for England’s senior national team.
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However, it might not be long before new England manager Thomas Tuchel hands Nwaneri his first senior call-up, following the teenager's sensational performance against Brighton.
Tuchel was at the American Express Community Stadium primarily to scout England internationals Declan Rice and Ben White (who missed the match due to a knee injury).
Yet, it was Nwaneri who stole the spotlight.
The teenager opened the scoring for Arsenal in the 16th minute with a composed finish: he raced onto a pinpoint forward pass from Mikel Merino before slotting the ball low under goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen.
The goal was Nwaneri’s second in the Premier League, making him the first Arsenal player ever to score more than one top-flight goal before turning 18.
If Tuchel is convinced of Nwaneri's immense potential, the Arsenal starlet could earn a senior England call-up ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia in March.
Should Nwaneri feature in either match, he would become cap-tied to England, ending Nigeria’s hopes of securing his allegiance.
Nwaneri’s rapid rise is reminiscent of other dual-eligible stars Nigeria lost to England in recent years, including Noni Madueke, Ebere Eze, Tammy Abraham, and Fikayo Tomori.
The teenager, who remains Arsenal’s youngest-ever player and the youngest to feature in the English top flight at just 15 years old, was substituted at halftime against Brighton, making way for Gabriel Martinelli.
Brighton equalised in the second half through João Pedro, who converted a penalty in the 60th minute after William Saliba fouled him in the box.
The two teams settled for a 1-1 draw as second place Arsenal move to within five points of leaders Liverpool – who have two games in hand.
